Adjustable frame for barbecue structures and the like



De 19, 1944- R. M. BURMEISTER 2,365,390

ADJUSTABLE FRAME FOR BARBECUE STRUCTURES AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 25,1941y Patented Dec. 19, 1944 ADJUSTABLE FRAME FOR BARBECUE STRUCTURESAND THE LIKE Robert M. Burmeister, Pasadena, Calif., assignor toUniversal Buyers, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of CaliforniaApplication October 25, 1941, Serial No. 416,492

7 Claims.

My invention relates to adjustable supporting devices for exposing foodor other articles and materials to heat in a nrebox. The invention isbeing initially incorporated in an adjustable frame for barbecuestructures and will be so described herein. It will be apparent thatsuch a disclosure is suicient guidance for employing the y inventionwherever it may have utility.

The general object of the invention is to provide an efficientadjustable barbecue frame of durable and inexpensive construction. Priorart devices have largely employed such expedients as chains, cables,gears and racks to adjustably support a frame or other food-holdingmember.

vVarious disadvantages inherent in such prior art arrangements may bementioned: usually essential supporting elements are exposed to directand intense heat of combustion; chains and cables being of small crosssection. and having relatively extensive surfaces tend to weaken rapidlyby rust under prolonged exposure to the-Weather; locking devices must bemanipulated at the cost of convenience to retain the adjustable frame atselected positions, and such locking devices are subject to mechanismdifliculties; the manually operable members for changing adjustmentcommonly become too hot to touch; the frame and associated structurecommonly extend above the rebox in the way of the operator; and theframe and support structure interfere with other uses for the barbecuestructure, for example, use of the barbecue structure as an incinerator.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate such disadvantagesas listed above. I propose to eliminate all chains, cables, racks, andgears to protect moving parts from direct heat,

yto employ only sufciently massive structure to endure for indeniteperiods of service. to employ a self-locking adjustment of simple andfoolproof design, to employ manually operable members that may be keptapart from the rest of the structure in a relatively cool environmentwhen not in actual use, to substantially eliminate mechanical structureabove the level of the rim of the flrebox, to provide an apparatus thatmay be entirely removed as a unit from the rebox either for the purposeof permitting the firebox to be used for purposes other than barbecuingor for the purpose of storing the unit out of thev weather.

Ar special object of the invention is to provide a frame that may notonly be adjusted in elevation relative to the rebox but also may beswung away from the rebox to a relatively cool and 'smoke-free location.

Afurther object in mind is to provide a frame and associated adjustablesupporting mechanism that may be sold as a unit for incorporation by thepurchaser in barbecue structures of masonry or other construction.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentin the detailed description to follow, taken with the acompanyingdrawing.

In the drawing, which is to be considered as illustrative only:

' y Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view of a barbecue structureincorporating the preferred form of my invention; A

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View taken as indicated by thearrow2 of Fig. 1;` and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the frame assembly apartfrom the masonry of Fig. 1.

Broadly described, the invention comprises a barbecuev frame in a reboxsuppo-rted by a carriage that travels vertically on a rotary screw, thescrew being by preference in a recess adjacent the rebox. In thepreferred form of the invention the screw is provided with an adjustablehandle and the whole combination of frame, carriage,

and screw may be lifted away as a unit.

Fig. 1 shows in transverse section a barbecue pit of brickconstructionthat includes side walls l0, a rear wall Il, and ahorizontal wall l2, the horizontal wall being laid on transverse metalsupports i3 to form the top of a lower storage .chamber I5 and the floorof an upper open-top iirebox I6. The rear wall Il has a draft opening l1from the rebox I6 that leads to a chimney I8 extending upward at therear of the structure. Such a draft opening is usually provided with adamper plate 2l) mounted on a transverse rod 2l and controlled by anexterior handle 22.

In the particular embodiment of my invention shown in the drawing theprincipal parts are: a well member or vertical housing 25; a verticalshaft 26 which may be termed a screw or worm figuration with alongitudinal slot 32 on one side,

the slot being open from above and being de.; finedl by two longitudinalflanges 33 of the well member. To facilitate mounting the well member 25in masonry, the well member may beprovided with' a lower anchor plate 35having adownwardly extending ange 36 and an upper anchor plate 3l havingan upwardly extending flange 38. As indicated in Fig. 3, each of theanchor plates 35 and 31 may be provided with apertures r slots 40 toserve as mortar locks. When the masonry is built up around the wellmember 25, the masonry in effect formsa recess or well 4| enclosing thewell member and also forms a masonry slot in which the pair of flanges33 defines the previously mentioned metal slot 32 of the well member.

The shaft or screw 26 may be rotatably mounted in the well member 25 inany suitable manner, for example, the lower end of. the shaft 26 may beformed as a ball 42 engaged by asuitabley foot piece or thrust bearing43, the thrust bearing minimizing friction and centering the lower endof the shaft in the well member 25. Various expedients may be employedto hold the upper portion of the shaft 26 in upright alignment. Theparticular expedient employed in the present structure consists ofgiving the carriage 29 a configuration to maintain sliding contact withthe inner wall of the well member 25. Preferably the crank 28 is aremovable member adapted to seat in a socket or bore (not shown) intheend of the shaft 26, the crank having a cross pin 44 adapted to engage apair of diametrically opposite slots 45 in the end of the shaft'.

The carriage 29 shown in the drawing is a tubular body with. suitablelugs 46'in sliding engagement with the threads 21 of' the screw 26.Integral` with the carriage 29. is a laterally extending arm 47 to servethe variousv purposesof supporting the framet. guiding the framein itsupward and downward movement in the rebox, and preventing rotation ofthe carriage with ro# tation of thescrewl 26.

The particular frame 3|)k that is shown. in the drawing as of angle-ironconstruction and rectangular in configuration is reinforced by alongitudinal tubular member 48 underlying one side andA by anunderlyingbar 49 at each end. A suitable grill 50 constructed of heavywire or light rod is shown removably seated in the frame 30. If a spitis to be used withk the frame 30 the grill 50 is removed and the spit(not shown) is seated in suitable brackets l at opposite ends of theframe.

The manner in which the invention is used and operated may be readilyunderstood from the foregoing description. The crank 28 is normallyplaced to one side in a relatively cool environment isolated from anyheated structure whatsoever. or lower the frame 30, the' handle 28 isinserted in the socket in the upper end of the shaft 26 and the operatorsimply cranks the handle 26 to rotate the shaft 26 as desired and thenagain lays the handle to one side. An important feature of theillustratedv construction is that the frame r30 may be cranked to anelevated position at which thev transverse arm 41 clears the slot 32 ofthe well member, whereupon the frame may be swung about the shaft 26 asa pivotv to a position away from the firebox indicated in dotted linesin Fig. l. The fact that this optional position is remote from the heatand smoke of the firebox is a considerable convenience to the operatorwhenever it is desirable to handle or manipulate food on the frame. l

At the end of a barbecuing period it is merely necessary to lift theframe 30' upward to remove from the barbecue structure the unitcomprising the frame, carriage, and screw; This unit is rela- Wheneverlthe operator desiresl to raise tively light and may be stored away outof the weather. It will be noted that except for inconsequentialcommunication through the slot 32 of the well member, the screw 26 andthe carriage 29 are completely shielded from direct heat.

The specific form of my invention described herein for the purpose ofdisclosure and to illustrate the principles involved will suggestvarious modications and substitutions under my general concept, and Ireserve the right to all such departures from my specic structure thatproperly come within the scope of my appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a barbecue structure, the combination of: walls forming anopen-top lrebox and a Well communicating with the interior of saidi-lrebox through an upright slot; an upright shaft mounted in said wellwith an upper portion of the shaft extending above the well and abovethe level of the rebox, said shaft being formed with screw threads andbeing adapted for manual rotation. a support for food products normallypositioned in said rebox, said support having a portion normallyextending through said slot into said weli and being rotatably mountedon said shaft in engagement with said screw threads, whereby the supportmay be raised to said upper portion of the shaft by rotation of theshaft and then swung about the shaft away from the rebox.

2. A barbecue means for use with a firebox structure, said meansincluding: a well member having a longitudinal side opening; a screwrotatably extending into said well member; a carriage member slidinglymounted in said well member in engagement with the threads of saidscrew; an arm 'extending laterally from said carriage through saidlongitudinal opening of the Well member, the walls of said longitudinalopening normally preventing rotation of said arm about the axis of saidscrew; a barbecue frame mounted on said arm; andi manual means to rotatesaid. screw to raise and lower said frame.

3. A barbecue means as set forth in claim 2 in which said openingextends to the top of said well member to permit said screw, carriage,arm and frame to be lifted' as a unit from the well member.

4. A barbecue means for combination with a iirebox structure, said meansincluding: a well member adapted for mounting in the firebox structure,said well member having a longitudinal slot opening on the upper end ofthek well member; a screw adapted for mounting longitudinally in saidwell member; a grid to support food products within the rebox structure;and an arm extending from said grid through said slot into threadedengagement with said screw tosupport the grid, said slot normallyprevent ing rotation of said arm, said screw'being of a length to extendsubstantially beyond the upper end of said well member, whereby saidscrew may be rotated to carry said arm out of said slot to permit thegrid to be swung away from the rebox structure about the axis of thescrew.

5. A barbecue means as set forth in claim 4 in which said screw islongitudinally removable from 'said well member, whereby said screw,grid, and

arm may be lifted as a unit away from said firebox structure while saidgrid isv at any position in its range of positions relative to saidscrew.

6. A barbecue means for use with a 'rebox structure, said meansincluding: a well member having a longitudinal side opening; a screwro'- tatably extending into said well member; a crank relea'sablysecured to said screw and adapted for rotating said screw; a carriagemember slidingly mounted in said well member in engagement with thethreads of said screw; an arm extending laterally from said carriagethrough said longitudinal opening of the well member, the walls of 5said longitudinal opening normally preventing rotation of said arm aboutthe axis of said screw; and a barbecue frame mounted on said arm.

'7. A barbecue means for use with a rebox tatably extending into saidwell member; a carriage member slidingly mounted in said well member inengagement with the threads of said screw; an arm extending laterallyfrom said carriage through said longitudinal opening of the well member,the walls of said longitudinal opening normally preventing rotation ofsaid arm about the axis of said screw; a barbecue frame mounted on saidarm; and a food supporting grid structure, said means including: a Wellmember 10 removably mounted upon said frame.

having a longitudinal side opening; a screw ro- ROBERT M. BURMEISTER.

